Pro Se Litigants More Likely to Lose, Survey Says

The need for lawyers to provide pro bono services continues. Judges say self-represented people are slowing down court dockets because they typically don’t know what legal points to argue or what motions to file. And an American Bar Association survey last year said 75 percent of lawyers believe that people who represent themselves are more likely to lose their cases. “Courthouses are being filled with people just showing up, trying to figure out what their rights are," said Legal Services Corp. Chair John Levi. "If you're a low-income person and you have a legal need, it is not easy to get it addressed.” Legal Services funds 135 legal aid groups across the country and serves about 900,000 clients a year, but it has to turn away about the same number of people because of too few staff. The Leaf Chronicle has this AP story